By Barbara Forshier on August 10th, 2026 in
When a nurse receives a complaint from the Minnesota Board of Nursing, one of the first impulses is often to reach out to your current supervisor, or HR representative. That reaction is completely understandable. If the allegation arises from your current employment, you may want to find out what was reported, make sure the employer’s account reflects what actually happened, or get ahead of the situation before the Board forms an impression.
The problem is that acting on that impulse can have a negative impact on your current employment if the complaint arose from prior employment. Understand that Board investigations are confidential. The Board will not share their investigation with your employer, so speak to an attorney before you share any related information with your employer.
Unless you are required to notify your employer, it is generally better not to discuss the Board investigation with the employer before reviewing the complaint and speaking with a nursing license defense attorney. That is not a blanket rule against ever contacting the employer. It means the decision should be made deliberately, after determining whether disclosure is required and what any conversation actually needs to accomplish.
Do You Have to Tell Your Employer About a Board Investigation?
Minnesota does not generally require a nurse to notify an employer simply because the Board has opened an investigation. A pending investigation does not mean the Board has found wrongdoing or taken action against the license. Those are two different things, and conflating them can lead nurses to disclose more than they are obligated to share.
That said, a separate disclosure obligation may exist under one or more of the following:
- An employment contract
- Workplace policies
- Credentialing or privileging requirements
- Requirements specific to a particular position or facility
The key word is “may.” Do not assume disclosure is required, and do not assume it is unnecessary. Review the actual governing documents before making that determination. Always read employment or Board renewal questions carefully, does it say, “Have you or are you currently under investigation by the Board of Nursing?” You must answer “Yes” if you have received a complaint notification letter (CNL).
Why It’s Usually Better Not to Speak With Your Employer
This comes down to one straightforward reality: the employer is not a neutral adviser. Supervisors, HR personnel, compliance officers, and the organization’s attorneys represent the organization’s interests. Those interests may align with yours in some situations, but they are not the same as yours, and you should not treat them as if they are.
The employer may have made the original report to the Board, conducted the underlying workplace investigation, or already submitted records and statements. A conversation you intend as a simple clarification may be documented in ways you do not anticipate:
- An HR note or email thread
- An internal investigation report
- A disciplinary record
- A follow-up communication to the Board
This matters because the Minnesota Board of Nursing can subpoena employment records during its investigation.
Even a completely honest explanation can create difficulty if it differs in wording, detail, or emphasis from an earlier incident report, a statement you gave during an internal workplace investigation, in the medical record, or your later written response to the Board. Those differences do not have to be intentional to become a problem.
The point is not that you should conceal information. It is that you should avoid creating another unprepared statement before you know what the Board is investigating and what records already exist in the file.
What If Your Employer Asks About the Investigation?
The more common real-world situation is not whether to initiate contact, but how to respond when the employer reaches out first. If your supervisor or HR department asks about a Board inquiry, you should not lie about the situation. However, you are also not required to provide a detailed, immediate explanation before you understand how that conversation could affect the licensing matter. The Board may subpoena your employment file, which will raise questions from the employer if the investigation stems from a prior workplace.
A limited response may sometimes be appropriate. Acknowledging that you received a Board inquiry, for example, is different from walking through the allegations in detail. Before you submit a written statement or sit down for another workplace interview, you should understand how that communication could be used in a Board proceeding.
What Should You Do Before Responding to Either the Employer or the Board?
Before you respond to anyone, take the following steps:
- Read the Board’s letter carefully so you understand the allegations, what information the Board is requesting, and when your response is due. Remember that the initial letter, the CNL will have little detail. You will need to wait until the second Board correspondence to determine what the allegations actually are.
- Review your employment agreement, workplace policies, and credentialing requirements to determine whether you must notify your employer.
- Avoid discussing the allegations with supervisors, HR, or coworkers until you understand whether that communication is required.
- Speak with a Minnesota nursing license defense lawyer before submitting your Board response or providing details to your employer.
An attorney can help prepare the required response while also determining whether your current employer must be notified and, if so, what information should be provided.
How a Minnesota Nursing License Defense Lawyer Can Help
Receiving a letter from the Minnesota Board of Nursing does not mean the Board has concluded that you did anything wrong. It does mean that how you respond, and what you say in the meantime, can influence what happens next. A Minnesota nursing license defense lawyer can help you approach the investigation carefully and with a clear understanding of what is required.
An attorney can:
- Determine whether you have an obligation to notify your employer
- Review any information you have already provided to supervisors, HR staff, or internal investigators
- Compare that information with the allegations in the Board’s letter
- Identify and address potential inconsistencies before your response is submitted
- Advise you on how to answer an employer’s questions without disclosing more than necessary
- Prepare a clear, accurate, and well-supported response to the Board
Every investigation is different. The goal is to make sure your response reflects the full circumstances of the situation while avoiding unnecessary communication that could complicate either your employment or your nursing license.
Speak With Forshier Law Before You Respond
Unless you are required to notify your employer, it is generally better to understand the complaint and seek legal guidance before discussing the investigation at work.
Forshier Law helps Minnesota nurses navigate the entire situation. As a retired registered nurse, Barbara Forshier understands the clinical setting in which complaints arise, including the pressures, judgment calls, and workplace dynamics that may be missing from the allegations. Her nursing license defense practice also gives her experience evaluating how employer communications, internal investigations, and Board proceedings can intersect.
If you have received a complaint notification, request for a written response, or notice of a Review Panel Conference, contact us before speaking with your employer or responding to the Board.
